Flight prices drop as new competitor on the northern route Nexus Airlines takes off

More competition appears to be great for passengers in the Kimberley with flight prices from Broome to Darwin via Kununurra dropping since the introduction of Nexus Airlines in July. The Kimberley-based airline is undercutting its competitors by offering flights from Broome to Darwin via Kununurra for no more than $439 one-way. However, on the days when Nexus Airlines does not fly (Wednesdays and Saturdays) the cheapest flights available by their competitors can be double that. Nexus Airlines stakeholder and industry engagement manager Kym Francesconi said it was a good reason for locals to support the new airline. “We have definitely noticed they (our competitors) dropped their prices on the northern route. . . It is so good to see that having competition on that route has brought the pricing down for everyone, we are so thrilled with that and we will continue to monitor pricing and price accordingly to try and keep it as reasonable as we can for locals and visitors,” Ms Francesconi said. After only three months in WA skies the airline has been nominated in the New Business category for the Perth Airport WA Tourism Awards. With its fleet of Dash-8 Q400 turboprop planes, Nexus runs a northern route service of Broome - Kununurra - Darwin as well as flights from Perth to Geraldton and other services in the north of the State. It is owned by HM Consolidated Group which also operates HeliSpirit and Bungle Bungle Savannah Lodge. Ms Francesconi said the popularity of the northern route was growing although the 76-seat planes were not yet at capacity. “We’re still at three months in, so it’s going to take a while to build to full capacity. “We’ve had really good support from the local community in Kununurra, which is fantastic. That’s where the airline was born, so it’s really good that the local community is rallying around and Broome has been good as well. “We are coming in obviously to the low season so our tourism numbers are obviously going to drop so we’re really going to need even more support of the locals during these months until the dry season kicks in. Ms Francesconi said what was also attracting customers was Nexus Airlines’ connectivity to the east coast through Darwin. “So for people who have family over on the east coast heading over there for Christmas Nexus is a really good option because you don’t have to overnight in Darwin,” she said. Another drawcard is the freshly baked scones onboard from Oasis Eatery in Broome. Ms Francesconi said the scones with cream was Kununurra-based managing director Michael McConachy’s idea. “He wanted it the old-fashioned way, the way airlines used to be not all packaged up to the nines.”